Final Score: Blue Jackets 5 – Jets 2
Game Summary
This was a full team effort in this game. The Jackets scored five goals with 11 different skaters recording a point and no one recording a multi-point game. It took a few minutes in the first period for these teams to feel each other out, but once the Jackets got going there was no stopping them. They had all four lines working and cruised past the Jets.
The first period the Jackets set the tone with some long shifts in the offensive zone. They were able to control the puck and keep some of the big Winnipeg stars like Patrik Laine, in their own zone. The Jackets had a 66.67% Corsi with 26 shot attempts in the opening frame, however were only able to put 11 shots on net and register nine scoring chances (three from high danger). They didn’t get a ton of opportunities but what they did on top of making the Jets stars defend, was they eased some pressure off of Joonas Korpisalo, which allowed him to get settled in and have a good game.
With Sergei Bobrovksy starting both games on the weekend, Korpisalo made his second start of the season. Korpisalo had a tough go in his first start against Chicago but he rebounded nicely in this one. He stopped 24 of 26, including this one on Mark Scheifele in the first.
In the second, something clicked for Columbus. They started making incredibly skilled plays and turned all of their possession time into scoring chances and goals. They put up 14 scoring chances, 10 high danger chances and four goals. The first of which, came on a great individual effort from Cam Atkisnon.
Atkinson uses his speed to create a partial break, then shows off his strength and balance to keep Jacob Trouba off of him and then displays his great hands in tight to deke out Steve Mason.
Nick Foligno made it 2-0 midway through the period, with another spectacular individual effort.
This is what I’m talking about when I said the skill was on display. First of all Foligno makes a smart heads up play to get the puck in the neutral zone. He comes down the wing and most of the time you will see the player just skate in, take a shot, goalie stops it and you get an offensive zone faceoff. Foligno wants no part in that, decides to toe drag around the defencemen and even after that move he could of shot it. Foligno though takes it one step further dekes out Mason and puts it into the open net.
Skill was on display again on the third goal as two more veterans got into the action. Brandon Dubinsky made a slick move to set up Jack Johnson.
This is another play where earlier they might have just taken a low danger shot and threw the puck on net. Dubinsky has two players on him, he somehow manages to maintain possession of the puck, and then has Nikolaj Ehlers coming at him, instead of quickly shooting it, he makes a more around Ehlers and finds Johnson alone at the side of the net for an easy tap in.
Lukas Sedlak scored the fourth goal on what was a considerably less skilled play.
The old cliché is always get pucks on net. Sedlak does that and is rewarded with his second goal of the season. It was that kind of night Mason.
Finally Zach Werenski got into the action scoring his third of the season.
He did what I was expecting Foligno do when he was walking in. Werenski coming down the wing, just snipes it past Mason. The shot is in the perfect spot, up high over Mason’s shoulder, he had no chance on it. Werenski has picked up right where he left off last season. He has three goals as mentioned and five points in six games.
Stat of the Night
Stats courtesy of
Natural Stat Trick and
Hockey-Reference.
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